Guests say
Bottle Tops is a well-appointed cottage in Windermere, praised for its excellent location and provision of amenities. Guests appreciate the property's cleanliness, central position for exploring, and the added convenience of parking. While some guests found the sofas and beds less comfortable and noted maintenance issues, the overall sentiment is positive, with many willing to recommend and return.
Most guests found the cottage to be clean and well-maintained, though there was a detailed complaint about cleanliness that affected the score. The issues raised were addressed during the stay, suggesting responsiveness to cleanliness concerns.
The location is highly praised for its proximity to local amenities, public transport, and the scenic Lake District. The convenience of the location is a consistent positive throughout the reviews.
Guests have mixed feelings about comfort, with some finding the property cosy and well-furnished, while others noted less comfortable sofas and soft beds. The lack of a downstairs toilet was a concern for elderly guests.
Facilities are generally well-regarded, with a well-equipped cottage and good amenities. However, some guests reported maintenance issues such as heating problems and a trip hazard, slightly lowering the score.
There is no mention of gifts or special touches that would indicate thoughtfulness from the hosts, so it is not possible to provide a score in this category.
About this property
Resting in the heart of Windermere, a bustling town in the Lake District National Park is Bottletop, a delightful, two-bedroom cottage. Just paces away from a plethora of amenities and attractions, including Lake Windermere, Bottletop provides a charming retreat for a Cumbrian escape, inviting four guests; couples, families and friends are all welcomed. Park up in the car port or take advantage of the permit on offer before heading indoors, reaching the homely living/dining room, complete with plush seating, a contemporary gas fire, a Smart TV, and dining for four. Continue through to the fully-equipped kitchen, housing all the necessities to ease your self-catered stay, including a washing machine, tumble dryer, and dishwasher. Prepare and enjoy mealtimes together, before sloping off to sleep in one of the two king-size bedrooms on offer; the first houses a TV, an en-suite shower room, and provides flexibility with a zip/link feature. Prepare for your coming day in the sleek bathroom, before exploring the town on foot, reaching a hub of shops, eateries, and pubs, including The Lamplighter Dining Rooms, The Windermere Pig, and the Brookside Inn. For breath-taking views of the lake, climb up to Orrest Head Viewpoint, or discover the Holehird Gardens, before taking to the water for an afternoon of kayaking or paddleboarding at the Windermere Outdoor Adventure Centre. Remain on land by touring the Windermere Jetty Museum - Stories of boats and steam, or The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, ideal for families, before grabbing your walking boots for a hike through Borrans Park, reaching the picturesque landscape of Stock Ghyll Force in Ambleside. Kendal is also a key area of interest to add to your itinerary, with the chance to tour the remains of Kendal Castle, stroll alongside River Kent, or practise your swing at Kendal Golf Club, before returning home in time for supper. Gather your loved ones for a retreat at Bottletop.
The twin towns of Bowness and Windermere are both lively, entertaining communities surrounded by the breath-taking Lake District landscape. These towns offer a variety of services, businesses, and dining options to suit every preference, with the addition of a boat journey to Bowness, the Lakeside Aquarium, and Beatrix Potter's "Hill Top House" at Sawrey in Ambleside. The nearby Grizedale Forest Park offers a variety of activities, such as several pleasant hikes, mountain biking, and the "Go Ape" adventure park. For those who prefer an adventure-filled trip, the area also has a lot of National Trust estates and a range of water sports. The "World of Beatrix Potter" in Bowness will be fun for kids to visit, and other towns like Grasmere, Coniston Water, Kendal, Keswick, and the Lakeland Mountains are also easily accessible.
Accommodation
Two bedrooms: 1 x king-size with TV and en-suite walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail, and WC, 1 king-size (zip/link), can be twin on request) .
Bathroom with bath, walk-in shower, basin, heated towel rail, and WC.
Kitchen.
Electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge with freezer box, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher.
Living/dining room with gas fire
Gas central heating.
Smart TV, TV, WiFi.
Fuel and power included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Car port for 1 car, along with an additional permit.
Sorry, no pets and no smoking.
Shop 0.2 miles, pub 0.1 miles, Lake Windermere 0.7 miles away by foot.
Note: Check-in from 4pm, check-out by 10am
Reviews (13)
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Grace
In the June before our visit however (just a few weeks prior) someone had commented on the lack of cleanliness in certain areas and left us unsure about what we would face on our own holiday. Safe to say we were not impressed at all! For the supposed standard of the cottage, the fee paid for our two weeks and the ratings from both other customers and Sykesâ own tick rating system, I was expecting an immaculate cottage; however, this is not what we were met with on arrival. At least 38 photos were taken from around the cottage and sent to Sykesâ customer team after calling them about the situation and the cleaning lady returned to do the odd bits of cleaning although she was not impressed at returning. - There were hairs in the freezer box and it was heavily iced up. - There were hairs of all sorts of nature abundantly on the bathroom floor and in both showers. - There was grime in the washing machine which we managed to get rid of partially by doing a high temp. empty wash. - There was black mould in the grouting in the bathroom. - Both ceiling fans were clogged up with dust/webbing, leading to the main bathroomâs fan just not working at all. The windows in both bathrooms were too high to reach so steam built up quickly with no ventilation. - There were stains on the duvet cover in the main bedroom. - There was a thick dust covering on most objects, especially the guitar in the lounge, on the tv, and on the radio in the second bedroom. The furniture also had dust on too. - Someone had shaved by the mirror in the main bedroom and these hairs were all over the top of the dresser and table mat. - There were cobwebs in most corners of each room. - There were stains on the ironing board cover - this could just do with replacing. When the cleaning lady returned, some of the areas were rectified and others we have had to clean ourselves. We didnât feel comfortable unpacking until it was sorted however, as we do not come from a house with this lack of cleanliness. The owners never once met us or communicated with us to apologise about the situation or explain. No welcome pack was left (which is unusual with our experience of previous Sykes cottages) and the cleaning lady explained there wasnât a lot of time allotted for her to clean the property. My suggestion would be to extend this time by more than a couple of hours or have multiple people cleaning the property at once. Either way, we left the property a lot cleaner than when we found it so some of my above points wonât be valid anymore - do I get a cleaning wage now? Multiple points of contact were made with Sykes who were good at first, but then basically washed their hands of us, saying that the owners were the ones who got the money so take it up with them for compensation. Sykes wouldnât be operating as a business if they had no take home so thatâs a lie for starters. The closest pub is supposedly 0.1 miles away. There are many pubs in Windermere but the closest is across the road from the property (less than 30ft) so just be aware at night that you wonât get much sleep. The bin lorry also comes round about 4:30/5:00 on Mondayâs so enjoy the early morning then too. The beds are really soft (which I know is a personal thing), but meant we didnât sleep well at all with the combination of this and the nightly noise from cars, drunk adults and those staying in B&Bs;/hostels nearby. The carport was handy as parking fills up quickly on the other side of the road. There is a permit for anyone with an extra car but it may be difficult trying to park everyday. The carport was therefore very helpful. There are no recycling facilities onsite, so all items have to be taken to the local recycling point (this is around a 10-15 min. walk from the property); it would be handy to have a recycling bin/box purchased for the property to put in the carport. I realise Iâve gone quite in depth with everything, but I would have appreciated having this sort of information around prior to booking. This cottage needs a good clean overall and just being kept on top of during changeovers. The issues listed are completely solvable. We wouldnât stay again due to this and the noise level at nights/early morning. Windermere itself is nice however, and close to Bowness too (walking distance or a short bus ride), so I recommend staying in the town but at a different property.
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Grace
In the June before our visit however (just a few weeks prior) someone had commented on the lack of cleanliness in certain areas and left us unsure about what we would face on our own holiday. Safe to say we were not impressed at all! For the supposed standard of the cottage, the fee paid for our two weeks and the ratings from both other customers and Sykesâ own tick rating system, I was expecting an immaculate cottage; however, this is not what we were met with on arrival. At least 38 photos were taken from around the cottage and sent to Sykesâ customer team after calling them about the situation and the cleaning lady returned to do the odd bits of cleaning although she was not impressed at returning. - There were hairs in the freezer box and it was heavily iced up. - There were hairs of all sorts of nature abundantly on the bathroom floor and in both showers. - There was grime in the washing machine which we managed to get rid of partially by doing a high temp. empty wash. - There was black mould in the grouting in the bathroom. - Both ceiling fans were clogged up with dust/webbing, leading to the main bathroomâs fan just not working at all. The windows in both bathrooms were too high to reach so steam built up quickly with no ventilation. - There were stains on the duvet cover in the main bedroom. - There was a thick dust covering on most objects, especially the guitar in the lounge, on the tv, and on the radio in the second bedroom. The furniture also had dust on too. - Someone had shaved by the mirror in the main bedroom and these hairs were all over the top of the dresser and table mat. - There were cobwebs in most corners of each room. - There were stains on the ironing board cover - this could just do with replacing. When the cleaning lady returned, some of the areas were rectified and others we have had to clean ourselves. We didnât feel comfortable unpacking until it was sorted however, as we do not come from a house with this lack of cleanliness. The owners never once met us or communicated with us to apologise about the situation or explain. No welcome pack was left (which is unusual with our experience of previous Sykes cottages) and the cleaning lady explained there wasnât a lot of time allotted for her to clean the property. My suggestion would be to extend this time by more than a couple of hours or have multiple people cleaning the property at once. Either way, we left the property a lot cleaner than when we found it so some of my above points wonât be valid anymore - do I get a cleaning wage now? Multiple points of contact were made with Sykes who were good at first, but then basically washed their hands of us, saying that the owners were the ones who got the money so take it up with them for compensation. Sykes wouldnât be operating as a business if they had no take home so thatâs a lie for starters. The closest pub is supposedly 0.1 miles away. There are many pubs in Windermere but the closest is across the road from the property (less than 30ft) so just be aware at night that you wonât get much sleep. The bin lorry also comes round about 4:30/5:00 on Mondayâs so enjoy the early morning then too. The beds are really soft (which I know is a personal thing), but meant we didnât sleep well at all with the combination of this and the nightly noise from cars, drunk adults and those staying in B&Bs/hostels nearby. The carport was handy as parking fills up quickly on the other side of the road. There is a permit for anyone with an extra car but it may be difficult trying to park everyday. The carport was therefore very helpful. There are no recycling facilities onsite, so all items have to be taken to the local recycling point (this is around a 10-15 min. walk from the property); it would be handy to have a recycling bin/box purchased for the property to put in the carport. I realise Iâve gone quite in depth with everything, but I would have appreciated having this sort of information around prior to booking. This cottage needs a good clean overall and just being kept on top of during changeovers. The issues listed are completely solvable. We wouldnât stay again due to this and the noise level at nights/early morning. Windermere itself is nice however, and close to Bowness too (walking distance or a short bus ride), so I recommend staying in the town but at a different property.
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Judith
It was a great base for our holiday and having parking too was an added bonus. The cottage was clean and well laid out with plenty of facilities. The front door key kept sticking in the lock and the fan in the main bathroom wouldnât come on but other than that we would definitely recommend and would certainly book again in the future.